In general, electronic endoscopes have an insertion unit that is elongated and flexible and that has an electronic image pickup device incorporated in the distal part thereof. The insertion unit is externally inserted into an object that is the lumen of a body cavity, and an image is reproduced on a monitor screen according to an image signal produced by the electronic image pickup device incorporated in the distal part of the insertion unit. The object is observed by viewing the reproduced image. Moreover, treatment forceps are passed through a forceps channel formed in the insertion unit, and used to collect a living tissue or to cure or treat the object.
By the way, the lumen of a body cavity is so tortuous as, for example, the large and small intestines are. When an endoscope is inserted into the tortuous lumen for observation, if it is discernible to what position in the lumen the endoscope insertion unit has been inserted or what is the shape of the endoscope insertion unit, the maneuverability of the endoscope for observation or treatment improves.
A proposal has been made of a shape-of-endoscope detecting system that can detect the position in a lumen, to which an endoscope insertion unit has been inserted, or the insertional shape of the insertion unit while being harmless to a human body that is an object, and that can be used for any lumen.
For example, according to a shape-of-endoscope detecting system (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-107875 (from [0017] to [0178] and FIG. 1 to FIG. 13), a probe having a probe source coil incorporated therein is passed through a channel formed in an insertion unit of an endoscope. A magnetic field generation driving signal is applied to the probe source coil. A plurality of triaxial sense coils located at predetermined positions on a patient couch on which a subject lies down detect a magnetic field induced by the probe source coil. Based on signals detected by the sense coils, the position of the probe source coil is calculated. Shape image information concerning the insertion unit is produced in consideration of the calculated position. An image expressing the shape of the insertion unit is displayed on a monitor according to the shape image information. Images expressing shapes viewed in the directions of different viewing points that are orthogonal to each other are also produced. Two screen images can be simultaneously displayed on the monitor.
Moreover, according to another shape-of-endoscope detecting system (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-175861 (from [0011] to [0049] and FIG. 1 to FIG. 10), a source coil comprises a plurality of first coils, and a sense coil comprises a plurality of second coils that detects a magnetic field induced by the plurality of first coils constituting the source coil. One of the source coil and the sense coil is disposed in an insertion unit of an endoscope that is inserted into a body cavity. A shape inferring means infers the shape of the endoscope insertion unit from the magnetic field induced by the source coil and detected by the sense coil. Herein, it is detected whether the shape of the insertion unit inferred by the shape inferring means is a specific shape. If the specific shape is detected, a warning is given.
Conventionally, while an object is being examined using an endoscope, the operator's conscious is concentrated on an endoscopic image expressing a region to be observed in a lumen. A shape-of-insertion unit image produced by a shape-of-endoscope insertion unit detecting system is viewed only when it is needed. This is a typical style of endoscopic examination.
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-107875 has proposed a shape-of-endoscope detecting system having an endoscope insertion supporting capability. Namely, during the endoscopic examination, if the insertion unit is looped, the looping is detected and a warming is given in order to alert an operator.
Furthermore, there is a demand for provision of information according to the movement of an endoscope insertion unit that is actually inserted or provision of information on a way of inserting an endoscope or information on a directive concerning handling. This would contribute to improvement in ease of insertion.
The present invention attempts to meet the foregoing demand. An object of the present invention is to provide a shape-of-endoscope insertion unit analyzing system capable of analyzing the shape of an endoscope insertion unit and providing information that contributes to improvement in the ease of insertion of an endoscope.
Conventionally, while an operator is observing an object using an endoscope, the operator's conscious is concentrated on an endoscopic image produced to express a region to be observed, mainly, in a lumen. The operator is often unconscious of a shape-of-insertion unit image produced and displayed by a shape-of-endoscope insertion unit detecting system. The operator does not pay attention to the image expressing the shape of the insertion unit until the progress in inserting the endoscope insertion unit is hindered. This becomes a factor of hindering the progress in endoscopic observation or causing patient discomfort.
In efforts to speed up the progress in endoscopic observation or eliminate patient discomfort, the shape-of-endoscope detecting system disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-107875 is designed to simultaneously display on a monitor screen an endoscopic image expressing a region to be observed and a shape-of-insertion unit image. Therefore, since the operator's conscious is directed to both the images, the progress in endoscopic observation can be facilitated and patient discomfort can be eliminated.
Moreover, a shape-of-endoscope detecting system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-175861 is intended not to cause patient discomfort. Namely, when an endoscope insertion unit is looped while being inserted into a lumen, it causes patient discomfort. Therefore, when the insertion unit is likely to loop in a lumen, the looped shape is detected and a warning is given in order to alert an operator.
In relation to the foregoing shape-of-endoscope detecting systems, no suggestion is made for recording an endoscopic image of an object and a shape-of-insertion unit image. In general, an endoscopic image is recorded during endoscopic observation and used to confirm an observed region later or employed in the training for getting the knack of handling an endoscope.
For recording of an endoscopic image and a shape-of-insertion unit image, video equipment is usually adopted. Since the endoscopic image and the shape-of-insertion unit image are recorded in different pieces of video equipment, when the images are reproduced, they may become inconsistent with each other. For simultaneously recording of both the endoscopic image and shape-of-insertion unit image in sole video equipment, special video equipment is needed.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-347909 has proposed an endoscopic image filing system in which both an image expressing the shape of an insertion unit detected by a shape-of-endoscope detecting system and an endoscopic image are recorded. More particularly, the endoscopic image is recorded in association with the shape-of-insertion unit image.
However, in the endoscopic image filing system proposed in the Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-347909, an endoscopic image and a shape-of-insertion unit image produced when a Release button on an endoscope is handled are recorded in the form of still images. The recorded images are therefore unsuitable for use in checking the entire process of endoscopic observation from the beginning to the end or in the training for handling an endoscope.
Moreover, no suggestion has been made for the capability to append information to any frame of an endoscopic image or of a shape-of-insertion unit image or to display the appended information during synchronous reproduction of the images. There is a demand for an endoscopic image processing system that can record or preserve the endoscopic image and shape-of-insertion unit image that express an object and the shape of an insertion unit throughout endoscopic examination, and that enables entry of supplementary information to be appended to the recorded or preserved image.
In consideration of the above demand, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic image processing system capable of preserving both data representing the insertional shape of an endoscope and data representing an endoscopic image, and capable of synchronously reproducing both the images.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic image processing system capable of appending relevant information to endoscopic image data or insertional shape data, and capable of presenting the relevant information during synchronous reproduction of the preserved insertional shape data and endoscopic image data.